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The presentation slides from our Annual Public Meeting held on the 17th of October 2023 are now available to download. -
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Thank you to those who attended our Annual Public Meeting.
But now we need your assistance. Start the conversation... -
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Pop-up COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinics have been set up in the Black Country with British Sign Language (BSL) support available for those who need it. The community pop-up clinics are being hosted at a range of locations in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell, with no appointment necessary.
A number of the clinics will be fully supported by a BSL interpreter, providing support for the deaf community who want to come forward for a winter vaccination.
Anyone aged 18 and over who is eligible for an autumn COVID-19 or flu vaccine is invited to come forward.
Those eligible for both winter vaccines include people aged 65 and over, those that are pregnant, adults and children (aged six months and above) with certain health conditions, care home residents, frontline health and social care staff, unpaid carers and household contacts of people with a weakened immune system.
BSL interpreters will be available at the following pop-up clinics over the next few weeks:
• Morrisons, Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, WS107BD, Thursday 2 November, 10am2pm
• Tesco, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 6DZ, Monday 6 November, 9am-1pm
• The Square, New Invention, Willenhall, WV12 5EA, Wednesday 8 November, 10am2pm
• Park Village Education Centre, Cannock Road, WV10 0RA, Tuesday 14 November,
1pm-7pm
• Dudley Market Place, High Street, DY11PQ, Friday 17 November, 9am-1pm
Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Having a flu and/or COVID-19 jab can help make sure you and those you care for are well protected during the winter months and beyond.
“Our pop-up clinics are a great way for those eligible for a flu or autumn COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated at a time and location that suits them, with no appointment necessary. “However, it’s important that they are accessible and inclusive as possible to ensure our communities feel supported to come forward for a vaccination, which is why we have also set up dedicated clinics which will have a BSL interpreter on site to support for BSL users.
“If anyone is hesitant about the vaccine or has any questions, the clinics are an opportunity to speak to experts from the NHS in a private and confidential environment, so please do pop along even if it’s just to have a conversation.” Christopher Beech, Project Development Manager at Zebra Access, a deaf-led charity in Wolverhampton, said: “It is well documented that Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of Hearing and Deafened people are more likely to suffer from ill health due to lack of communication access to Health services and provisions.
“Therefore, it is fantastic to see the planned pop-up vaccination clinic providing BSL access during November across different sites for this marginalised group as we approach the winter season.”
In addition to the pop-up clinics, eligible people can book their autumn COVID-19 vaccine online
via the National Booking System, or by calling 119.
Calls to 119 are free from mobiles and landlines and the booking service provides support in 200 different languages. Those who have difficulties communicating or hearing, or are a BSL user can use textphone 18001 or the NHS 119 British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter service Flu vaccinations are also available at a range of community pharmacies. To find a pharmacy near you visit the NHS website. -
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To help focus our work projects for 2024/25. We need you, the Walsall public, to take part and answer a small number of questions. What you say could help reshape services to improve the service user experiences in the future. Make a difference today! -
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See it on here or on our YouTube Channel. -
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People in the Black Country are being urged to think carefully about which health service they should use during the upcoming industrial action and the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.
Junior doctors are planning to strike from 7am Wednesday 20 December 2023 through to 7am Saturday 23 December 2023, and again from 7am Wednesday 3 January 2024 until 7am Tuesday 9 January 2024, during the traditionally busy Christmas and New Year period.
All health and care partners in the Black Country are working together to prepare for the industrial action and the bank holidays, which will have significant impact on NHS local services, and are asking the public for their support.
Emergency care will be prioritised, and people are being reminded that 999 and emergency departments are still the right services if it is a life-saving emergency. However, for anything that isn’t life-threatening, people are being urged to use 111 online as the first port of call for health needs. People can also call 111 for help, advice, and signposting to the most appropriate service.
Pharmacies, GP appointments, walk-in centres, minor injury units and urgent treatment centres will continue to be available during the industrial action and can help people with a range of injuries and illnesses. People with hospital appointments should continue to come forward for the care they need and do not need to call to check if appointments are going ahead. If appointments do need to be rearranged due to strike action, patients will be contacted directly.
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “We’re approaching what is already one of the busiest times of the year for the NHS and there is no doubt that this level of planned strike action alongside the festive period will create an even greater strain on many of our services.
“Your NHS is still here for you, but we’re asking people to consider whether A&E is the most appropriate place for their needs, and if it’s not, to seek alternatives. “NHS 111 online or by telephone is available 24/7 for urgent medical advice but it's worth remembering that most common ailments at this time of year can be effectively managed at home with advice from a local pharmacy.
“By ensuring you choose the most appropriate service, you will not only you save time waiting, but you will be treated by the most appropriate healthcare professional for your needs. This will also help NHS services to manage demand and ensure hospitals can focus on treating people with serious and life-threatening conditions.”
The NHS has also been reminding people to order any repeat prescriptions in advance. This not only helps avoid a last-minute rush for GP practices and pharmacies, but also helps ease the burden on the NHS 111 service and hospitals.
Dr Julian Hobbs, Medical Director at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Undoubtedly this festive period will be a huge challenge as we prepare not only for our busiest time of the year, but also the impact of the longest industrial action period so far across our hospitals.
“Our number one priority is to ensure that those in greatest need continue to have access to high quality care and our immediate focus will be on the safe delivery of urgent and emergency care services.
“Planned appointments and clinics are likely to be affected, however people should continue to attend their appointments unless they are contacted directly by the NHS.
“I'd also like to thank all health and care teams across the Black Country for their work over this busy time, as always your dedication in helping those who need help and support is greatly appreciated.”
NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. You can contact the service online 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A small number of pharmacies will be open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day for any people in need of an emergency prescription, urgent advice on medicine or a confidential consultation for a minor health concern.
Opening times for all of the Black Country’s pharmacies, including those staying open on the bank holidays, can be found on the NHS website.
People should only call 999 if it is a medical emergency
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We will be closed on the 25th, 26th and 27th of December. And the 1st of January 2024. -
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A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during Novmeber 2023.
Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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The Black Country Local Maternity and Neonatal System (BCLMNS) is looking at a way of working across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. This would mean that care is based on where women and birthing people plan to have their babies – rather than being based on geography -
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With the start of the new school term and the continuing rise in measles cases across the West Midlands, parents and carers in Walsall are being urged to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations such as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) as soon as possible. -
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Due to an increase in measles cases across the West Midlands, pop-up vaccination clinics have been set up in the Black Country to help ensure children aged 12 to 16 are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as severe lung infections and inflammation of the brain. It also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.
It can spread quickly among communities, particularly schools, if children have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine.
All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four months of age.
Having two doses of the vaccine provides the best protection against MMR and adults and older children can be vaccinated at any age if they have not been fully vaccinated before.
A series of pop-up clinics offering the MMR vaccine are taking place across the Black Country for 12 to 16 year-olds (Year 8 and Year 11) who haven’t yet had two doses. The clinics are being hosted in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell on the following dates:
Wolverhampton:
• The Health Hub, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton, WV1 3NH, Saturday 20 January,
9am-2.30pm. To book an appointment call 01902 200077
Dudley:
• Fens Pool Community Centre, Tennyson Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 4HY, Saturday 20
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01384 431712
Sandwell:
• Wood Lane Community Centre, Wood Lane, West Bromwich, B709PT, Saturday 27
January, 9am-1.30pm. To book an appointment call 0121 592 1110
Walsall:
• South & Central Locality Hub, Birchills Street, WS2 8NF, Saturday 27 January, 9am1.30pm. To book an appointment call 01922 902035
The clinics will be staffed by trained healthcare professionals from the NHS and Vaccination UK who specialise in childhood vaccinations and follow all necessary safety protocols. Parents and carers who are unsure if their child is up to date with their routine vaccinations can also check this at the clinics. Children will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the clinics.
Dr Fiona Rose, local GP and Clinical Director for Quality and Safety for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board said: “Measles can easily spread between unvaccinated people and can be very serious, so it is important that parents make sure their children are protected. The safest and most effective way to prevent measles is to ensure your child is fully vaccinated with MMR vaccine.
“It’s understandable that parents may be worried about getting their child vaccinated, however the MMR vaccine is one of the most studied vaccines in the world, with millions of doses given every year – it is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community.
“It’s never too late to come forward and our pop-up clinics are a great opportunity for children aged 12 to 16 years to get vaccinated if they have missed a dose, so please do book an appointment as soon as you can.”
Parents who are unsure if their child is up to date with all their routine vaccinations can also check their child’s Red Book (personal child health record), check the NHS app, or contact their GP practice.
For more information about the MMR vaccine, visit the NHS website here. -
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Guidance, information and vaccination information. -
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Healthwatch Walsall wanted explore how Black and Asian women in Walsall truly feel during
their maternity journey. Do women feel as though they are listened to and valued as individuals? Do women feel they are treated with respect and compassion? These are major factors in the quality of treatment a patient feels they have received. Furthermore, we wanted to ask women if they felt their ethnic background influenced the treatment and care they received.
Gathering such patient experiences helps to give a small insight into the maternity journey for Black and Asian women in Walsall. -
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In June 2023, the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) published the local NHS Joint Forward Plan, describing how NHS organisations in the Black Country will work together with other partners, including Local Authorities and the community and voluntary sector, to arrange and provide services to meet the needs of local people.
The following five priority areas were set out in the plan:
Priority 1- Improving access and quality of services
Priority 2- Community where possible – hospital where necessary
Priority 3- Preventing ill health and tackling health inequalities
Priority 4- Giving people the best start in life
Priority 5- Best place to work.
With the second year approaching, the plan has been updated and a sixth priority - ‘fit for the future’ - has been added. This is to recognise that the Black Country health system needs to change the way it works to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges it faces. -
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Ideas Made Real is for young people aged 16-24 to turn their social action projects and community ideas into reality. Each successful young person will receive an award of up to £8,000 and expert support from United By 2022’s youth team to bring their project to life. Whether it's addressing homelessness, promoting mental
health awareness, or improving their surroundings, Ideas Made Real is designed by young people, for young people. Ideas Made Real is part of our GEN22 programme and last year’s projects won a national award.
To celebrate the West Midlands turning 50 this year, Ideas Made Real will hand the reins over to young people to create lasting impacts in their neighbourhood, their community and their home. If you have ever felt that no-one is doing anything about an issue that you care about, then this is for you. Previous participants say that Ideas Made Real made them feel confident and connected, and proud they made a difference for a community important to them, or in the place they call home. -
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On this occasion we carried out a project looking at the Accessible Information Standard to ensure it meets the needs of people with sensory impairment.
Guidance from NHS England states:
‘From 1 August 2016 onwards, all organisations that provide NHS care and/or publicly-funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard.’
‘The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.’
This report is a local sample of service user experiences and views.
Available as a PDF and Word document which can be read aloud.
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A brief outline of some of the issues and themes that patients have faced when accessing Walsall Services during March 2024.
Also, things that you can get involved with! -
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With cases of whooping cough increasing across the Black Country, pregnant women are being encouraged to come forward for a vaccination.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems, especially in babies and young children.
Mums-to-be are offered the vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy so their baby has protection against whooping cough from birth. The whooping cough vaccine is also routinely given as part of the 6-in-1 combination vaccine for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.
If you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated, or if your child hasn’t yet had the 6-in-1 combination vaccine, please contact your GP surgery to book an appointment to get the protection from whooping cough as soon as possible. If you’re unsure if your child has had the vaccine, check your child’s red book (health record).
Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Anyone can catch whooping cough, but the infection can be very serious in young children and babies.
“Getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant is highly effective in protection your baby from developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life – ideally from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks of pregnancy. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
“The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide protection for them until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at eight weeks old.
“Vaccination remains the very best protection for babies and children from becoming unwell with whooping cough. So, if you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated, or if your child hasn’t yet had the 6-in-1 combination vaccine, please come forward as soon as you can.”
For more information on the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy, please visit the NHS website.
The 6-in-1 vaccine protects babies against six serious illnesses:
• diphtheria
• hepatitis B
• hib (Haemophilus influenza type b)
• polio
• tetanus
• whooping cough.
If your child has missed their 6-in-1 vaccinations, contact your GP surgery. It's best to have them on time, but children can still have the 6-in-1 vaccine up to the age of 10.
For more information about the 6-in-1 vaccine, please visit the NHS website.
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Read or download a copy. -
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This May Measure Month (MMM), eligible people in the Black Country are being reminded to visit their local pharmacy for a blood pressure check.
Led by the International Society of Hypertension, MMM is an annual global screening campaign which aims to educate people on the importance of having their blood pressure checked regularly, as raised blood pressure is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious condition where your heart is made to consistently work harder to pump blood around your body.
It often has no symptoms and can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially lifethreatening conditions such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease and dementia.
People who might be more at risk of having high blood pressure include those who:
• are overweight
• do not do enough exercise
• drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)
• smoke
• have a lot of stress
• eat too much salt and not enough fruit or vegetables
• are over 65 years old
• are of Black African or Black Caribbean descent.
All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
In the Black Country it is estimated there are around 75,000 people with undiagnosed hypertension and so the NHS is reminding people aged 40 and over who haven’t had a blood pressure check in the last six months to come forward.
Dr Sunil Nadar, Clinical Lead Cardiologist at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and MMM National Lead for England, said: “High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms which is why it is called the ‘silent killer’. It can significantly raise your risk of a life-threatening heart attack, heart failure, or stroke, and the only way to know you have the condition is to get your blood pressure measured.
“High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily (especially reducing salt in the diet), maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. Some people with high blood pressure will also need to take one or more medicines to stop their blood pressure getting too high – what works best is different for each person.
“Checking your blood pressure is quick, simple and painless, and it could save your life. So, if you don’t know what your blood pressure is, May is the time to find out.” Selected community pharmacies across the Black Country offer a free blood pressure check service for people aged 40 and over with no previous history of high blood pressure. You can find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks near you on the NHS website.
Stephen Noble, local pharmacist and Chief Officer of the Community Pharmacy Dudley, said: “May Measure Month is a great opportunity for raise awareness of high blood pressure and the importance of having a blood pressure check.
“If you’re aged 40 and over and you’re not already being monitored by a doctor, you can quickly and easily get your blood pressure checked by going into your local pharmacy. It’s a free, simple and non-invasive test, conducted in privacy, and you don’t need to book in advance.
“Depending on the result, the pharmacist might give you advice to support healthy living, give you a blood pressure monitor to take home with you and return later, or advise you to see a GP. Your blood pressure readings are also sent to your GP so your health records can be updated.” -
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People in the Black Country are being reminded to order any repeat prescriptions they may need ahead of the spring bank holiday (Monday 27 May).
GP practices and pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the bank holiday weekend, making it more challenging for people to access medicines at short notice and may lead to a delay in getting your medication.
Every bank holiday, NHS 111 sees an increase in people getting in touch about repeat prescriptions. Waiting and using emergency or urgent services over the spring bank holiday puts added pressure on already busy services.
To avoid this and to ensure health is not put at any unnecessary risk, people are being asked to submit any repeat prescriptions that are due for renewal by Friday 17 May to make sure there is enough time for them to be processed and dispensed.
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “The time leading up to a bank holiday weekend can be busy for the NHS. By ordering medicines as soon as possible, it allows enough time for it to be processed and dispensed and helps avoid a last-minute rush. “If you take any medicine on a regular basis to help manage a long-term condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma, now is the time to check that you have enough medication left to last you over the upcoming spring bank holiday. “Keeping your medicine cabinets stocked, knowing when your GP practice is open, and planning for repeat prescriptions that are due will ensure you can make the most of the long weekend. “The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is via the NHS App or through your GP practice website. If you do not have access to GP online services, you can phone your GP practice to order prescriptions.”
Most repeat medication requests can be made online, via local practice websites or through the NHS App. People who do not use the internet can approach their practice to access their prescriptions.
If people feel unwell over the bank holiday weekend, but it’s not life threatening, they can contact NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.
NHS 111 can help direct people to the most appropriate local health service if they aren’t sure where to go – this could include an out of hours GP, a pharmacy, a local NHS walk-in centre, ora hospital accident & emergency (A&E) department.
Urgent and emergency care services will also be open as normal over the long weekend. People should only call 999 or attend A&E services in the event of an emergency.